look for software to do a window splash

i start a script that starts a big application. this application often takes several seconds before it opens its window. what i would like to do in the script is open a splash window, quickly, so that i know it is starting and that i do not need to click on its icon, again. sometimes, when i click on things, it just doesn't really do anything and i need to click it, again. if i start two instances of this application, is causes problems and i need to shut both of them down, start it again, and in the 3rd instance, clean up the mess. so i really want a good way to know that my click worked or not.